Sinuous-bead friction-seal



G. RAMSEY.

SINUOUS BEAD FRICTION SEAL- APPLICATION FILED JULY 31. 1920.

1,386,729 a Patentfid Aug. 9, 1921..

UNHTEB FFHQ.

.i'EORGE RAMSEY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ANCHOR CAP &, CLOSURE CORPORATION, OF BROOKLYN, NE'W' YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SIN'UOUS-BEAD FRICTION-SEAL.

Application filed July 31,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE RAMSEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sinuous-Bead Friction-Seals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to packaging and more specially to a friction cap and the package sealed by said friction cap.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a friction cap having a sinuous sealing bead adapted for expansion when the cap is sealed on a suitable container.

A further object of the present invention is a package comprising a suitable container having substantially rigid side walls with which a friction sealing cap having a sinuous groove in the skirt thereof is adapted to cooperate to seal the package.

A still further object of the present invention is a friction cap having a substantially cylindrical skirt provided with a sealing bead having portions which are curved or inclined to the circumference of the skirt whereby forces tending to stretch the circumference likewise tend to straighten the bead.

Another and further object of the present invention is a closure cap of the character specified wherein a substantially cylindrical skirt is provided with a continuous sealing bead having portions adapted to engage the side wall of a suitable container at various Zones of the container whereby the cap is adapted to accommodate the sealing zone to irregularities in the sealing wall of the container.

A still further object of the presentinvention is a cap of the character specified wherein a continuous sealing head is so constructed and arranged as to form a continuous seal with a suitable vessel in such manner that the seal is formed progressively as the cap is applied whereby air be exhausted from the cap up until the scaling is completed.

A still further object of the present invention is.a cap of the character specified having a substantially cylindrical skirt portion provided with a continuous sealing bead constructed in such manner that said sealing bead engages a suitable package wall at,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au. 9, 1921.

a substantially cylindrical skirt provided with a continuous sealing bead constructed with depending portions adapted to contact locally with a suitable package wall in such manner that the areas of contact spread from the initial contact point until the complete head is in contact with the vessel when the cap is being applied, thereby distributing the sealing forces over a relatively long period of the cap applying operation.

Other and further objects will in part be obvious and will in part be pointed out hereinafter in the specification. following by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like parts are represented by like characters throughout the several figures thereof.

It is realized that the present invention may be embodied in forms other than those herewith shown and described and therefore it is desired that the disclosure herein shall be considered as illustrative and not to be taken in the limiting sense.

Figure 1 is a view illustrating one embodi ment of the invention comprising a cap ready to be sealed upon a suitable container;

Fig. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in a slightly different form;

Fig. 3 illustrates the invention embodied in another form;

- Fig. 4 illustrates the invention in a still further form; and

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are diagrammatic illustrations of the expansion of the forms shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4.

Heretofore in the art of friction caps there have been in general, three types; one comprising a cap having a cover portion and a straight cylindrical skirt. In this type the range of use of the cap is limited and this type of cap is usually applied to metal containers, the side walls of which are somewhat yielding. Another type of friction cap in common use is the type comprising a cover portion with a depending skirt having an inwardly projecting continuous bead, convex on the interior and concave on the exterior. This type of cap permits of a considerably greater range of utility of the cap than the straight sided skirt type -for the that which has a plurality of separate indentations in a. substantially cylindrical skirt so that the skirt of the cap contacts in separate points with the side wall of the container. In this type of cap the seal is discontinuous so far as the friction zone is concerned and therefore does not provide a tight seal, so that it cannot be successfully used in packaging powders, heavy liquids, or articles other than a very coarse material.

, The present invention overcomes'the difli' culties of the known art. byproviding a seahng'bead arranged in the skirt of a cap in such manner thatthebead, at the begin-.

ning of the sealing operation, contacts with the contamer at spaced apart intervals so that the sealing forces, toexpand the head, are applied gradually as the cap is forced in position over the container. This obviates the necessity of applying the complete sealing force at one time. The fact that the sealing bead is sinuous in character per mits considerably more stretching of the bead than is possible with a straight cylin drical groove, because the resilience of the metal in the cap tends to act somewhat as the resilience of, metal in a coil spring.

Furthermore, in v1ew of the sinuous character of the b'ead'the resiliency of the skirt. of the cap is'not destroyed by the bead being stretched beyond its elastic limit when the cap is applied and therefore the cap may be put on or taken off' frequently without danger of destroying its utility. The material from which the cap may be made may comprise thin metal, celluloid, or other elastic materials which may be suitable for page aging food products and the like.

Where the cap is used with a gasket the sinuous bead in the skirt performs. the use- 'ful function of permitting trapped air to escape from the package while the cap is being applied and the sealing does not take place until the cap is securely in position on I the container. This function isparticularly important where the cap is used with a gasket to form a hermetic. seal, which is completed under a vacuum. The spaces between convolutions of the M bead I form outlets through which the air from the package may be exhausted without dangerof displacing or misplacing the cap in its position on the having a substantially rigid side wall.

the package and cap enter the chamber. In

the old type of caps it was not infrequent that the exhausting of the air from within the package would tip the cap on the pack age so that when the sealing operation took place the cap would be misplaced and consequently would be so distorted that a. bad seal would result. With the present cap the lower portions of the bead comprise sup ports which rest upon the mouth of the container andj the spaces between the supports comprise openings through which'the air from the container may be exhausted without danger of; displacement of the cap and furthermore the exhausting may continue after the beadhas been started over the. con tainer mouth and until the final convolution of the bead isforced' over the edge, at which time the seal is practically completed and it is merely necessary to force the edge of the mouth of the container into engagement with the gasket which insures the maintenance ofthe hermetic seal. p

Referring now to the drawings'and' more especially to the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 1, the cap comprises a cover portionl provided with a skirt 2 which may be integral with the cover portion or'which may be separate therefrom. Preferably, though not necessarily, the lower edge of the skirt is provided with av rolled edge 1;" The side wall of the head is provided with a'depressed head 5 which is'substantially of wavy form. This wave may comprise a continuous bead formed of joined, erect,and inverted semicircular portions having upper crests 6 and lower troughs 7, with the part ofthe skirt adjacent the bead being substantially plain portions 8 and 9. The container.illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises aglass vessel 10, (oh

viously a vessel of any other material may be utilized), on which the cap is shown as resting loosely prior to the sealing operation. It will benotedthat the troughs 7 are resting against the mouth orend -wall11 of the container.. 'When the cap is in this position the portions 9 provide-open ports leading from the outer atmosphere tov the interior of the container 10. It may be de sirable, though in most cases it is not necessary, to provide the upper edge of the cap with a suitable gasket 12 which is adapted to seal against the end 11 of the container whenjthecap is forced downwardly over the mouth of the container. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an exaggerated form of the manner in which the groove shown in Fig. 1 stretches; the full line representing the normal, unstretched groove, and the clotted line representing the groove after the cap is inposition on asuitable container Fig. 2 illustrates a somewhat differently shaped bead wherein the configuration is the bead shownin Fig. 1, as is illustrated by Fig. 6, wherein the full line represents the non-stretched condition of the bead shown in Fig. 2 and the dotted line is an exaggerated view of the stretched form.

Fig. 8 is another form somewhat like Fig. 2, wherein the groove is illustrated as comprising a plurality of arches l8. Preferably the apices 19 are formed by the meeting or joining of the arches adjacent the lower portion of the skirt in order to comprise supports for the cap when the cap is in position on a container ready to be sealed.

Fig. 4 is a slight departure from the other forms embodying the invention. The particular form illustrated in Fig. 4 is that of a representation of a chain which really in effect is substantially a double arched groove. This chain is composed of vertical links 20 and horizontal links 21. The stretch takes place substantially in the vertical links 20 and it will be noted the horizontal links form the connection which makes the bead continuous.

It is desirous that it be understood that the beads in the caps are pro-formed during the manufacturing operations, that is, before the caps are placed in position for sealing, and that the sealing operation is performed by merely forcing the cap over a suitable container by telescoping the skirt of the cap at the mouth of the container. It is also desired that it shall be clear that the gasket previously referred to is not intended to be used except in such cases where it is necessary to maintain an air-tight, watertight joint between the cap and the closure. The seal formed by the cap without the gasket is a very tight intimate seal and is quite sufficient' to hold many viscous liquids, although it is not sufficient to maintain a vacuum within the sealed package for any considerable length of time.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A friction closure cap comprising a cover portion, a skirt extending at rightangles to said cover portion and a continuous sinuous sealing bead in said skirt portion.

2. A. friction closure cap comprising a cover portion, a skirt extending substantially at right-angles to said cover'portion and a continuous sinuous sealing bead in said skirt portion, said bead being concave on the exterior and convex on the-interior.

3. A closure cap comprising a cover portion, a skirt integral with said cover portion, and a wave-like sealing bead provided in said skirt portion, said bead being concave onthe exterior and convex on the interior. A V

4. A closure cap comprising a cover portion, a skirt integral with said cover portion, and a wave-like sealing bead provided in said skirt portion, said bead being concave on the' xterior and convex on the interior, the diametrical dimensions of said bead being uniform.

5. A sealing cap provided with a cover portion, a skirt integral with and extending from said cover portion, and a continuous sinuous sealing bead provided in said skirt in such manner that said sealing bead is adapted to makeinitial contact with spaced apart portions of the container, with which said cap is utilized when said cap is initially placed upon said container.

6. A sealing cap provided with a cover portion, a skirt integral with andextending from said cover portion, and a continuous sinuous sealing beadprovided in said skirt in such manner that said sealing bead is adapted to rest on theedge of the mouth of the container and to make initial contact withspaced apart portions of the container with which said cap is'utilized when said cap is initially placed upon said container. 7. .A closure cap comprisinga cover portion, a skirt extending from said cover portion, a sealing bead provided in said skirt in such manner that passageways are provided between the atmosphere and the interior of a container with which said cap is utilized when a portion of the bead has been seated against the container and whereby said bead forms a continuous seal when the cap is fully seated in position.

8. A closure cap of the character specified comprising a cover. portion, a skirt adjacent said cover portion and a sealing bead formed in said skirt in such manner that said skirt tends to shorten and the sealing bead tends to stretch circumferentially when said cap is applied to a substantially rigid walled container.

' 9. The method of sealing containers and the like comprising providing a container with a substantially smooth side wall adjacent the mouth thereof, providing a closure cap having a continuous sinuous bead in the skirt thereof and applying a cap over the mouth of the-container in such manner that the sealing begins at spaced apart zones on localized portions ofthe bead, which zones gradually extend along the head as the cap is applied, until a continuous seal is formed between the cap and the container.

' ,10. The method of sealing containers and the like comprising providing a container with a substantially smooth non-compressible side wall adjacent the mouth thereof, providing a closure cap having a continuous sinuous bead in the skirt thereof and applying a cap over the mouth of the containerby gradually telescopingthe skirt of:

.the bead, which zones, gradually extend along the bead as the cap is applied until.

a c0Iltinu0uS seal is formed and the container.

11. The method of sealing containers and the like which comprises providingv a conbetween the cap tainer with a substantially smooth side wall, providing a closure cap having a seallng in the skirt thereof, supporting-the cap upon the mouth'of the container in such manner as to provide open passageways leading from the exterior. of the package to theinterior thereof and gradually closing the passage- ;ways during the sealing operation and after portions of the head are sealed against said side wall.

13. The method of sealing containers and in the skirtthereof, supporting the cap uponv the mouth of the container in such manner as to provide openpassageways leading from the exterior of the package to the interior thereof, and closing the passageways during the sealing operation and after-portions of the head are firmly seated against saidside wall.

14:. A package comprising a container hav-' ing a substantially smooth side wall adjacent the mouth thereof, a cap provided with a 'cover portion, a skirt extending from said cover portion and over a part of the side wall of the container, and a sinuous sealing bead provided in the said skirt, with said head in contact throughout-its length with;

the side wall of said container and with said beadunder tension so that the sealing'forces are exerted against the side wall of the con tamer.

15; A package comprising a'container hav inga substantially smooth non-yielding side 7 wall adjacent the mouth thereof, a cap pro '60 sealing bead provided circumferentially in .vided with a cover portion, a skirt extending from said cover portion and over apart of the side wall of the container, and a sinuous the said skirt, with said head in contact throughout its length with the side wall of said container and with said bead under tension so that thesealing forces are exerted radially tainer. a

16. A packagecomprising a container having a substantially smoothsid'e'wall adjacent the mouth thereof, a cap provided with a against the side wall of the con its length with the side wall of said. container and with interior diameter of said head being slightly less than the exterior diameter'of said'wall so that said beadv will be under tension whereby the ,sealing forces are exerted against the side wall'of the container.

17. A package comprising a container.

having a substantially smooth non-yieldingside wall adjacent the mouth thereof, a cap provided with a cover portion, a skirt of resilient material extending from saidcover portion' and over a part of, the side wall of with saidbead in contactthroughout its length with the side wall of said container ing slightly less than'the exterior diameter of said wall so that said head will be under tensionwhereby the sealing. forces'ar'e exerted radially against the'sidewall of the container. r a

1.8.:A packagecomprisin-g; a container having a substantially smooth sidewall, a

cap provided with a cover portion, a skirt extending from sald cover. portion, and a continuous seallngbead ln'said sklrt, with said sealing bead comprising a plurality;

of joined'curved portions.- adapted to be stretched when said cap isuforced over the mouth of the container whereby said bead. is compressed against the sidewall of' the container." 19. A package; comprlsing a container having a substantially smooth non-compres-.

sibleiside wall, a cap provided with a "cover portion, a-skirtextendlng from said cover portion, and a continuous sealing bead in said skirt,"said bead being concave on the exterior and convex on the interior, with sa d sealing-bead comprising a plurality of 'jolned curved portlons adapted to be the container, and .a sinuous sealing head" provlded circumferentially in the said skirt and with interior-diameteriof said head be-,

stretched when said cap is forced over the mouthof'the container whereby said bead is compressed against the side wall of the container.

20. A; package comprising a container having asubstantially smooth sidewall, a

. P P ded with a cover portion, a skirt extending from said cover portion, and a continuous sealing head in said skirt, with said sealing bead comprising a plurality of j oined' curved portions adapted to beslightly elongated so that said bead may be stretched when saidcap is forcedover'themouth of the container whereby said bead is maintained tightly compressed against the side wall of the container when the cap is in position 0n the container.

21. A package comprising a container having a substantially smooth non-compressible side wall, a cap provided with a cover portion, a skirt extending from said cover portion, and a continuous sealing bead in 10 said skirt, said bead being concave on the exterior and convex on the interior, with said sealing bead comprising a plurality of joined curved portions adapted to be slightly elongated so that said bead may be stretched when said cap is forced over the mouth of the container whereby said bead is maintained tightly compressed against the side wall of the container when the cap is in position on the container.

GEORGE RAMSEY. 

